Bike Trail
Lord Emperor Wenchang
Lord Emperor Wenchang was originally the patron god of
Zitong County in Sichuan. The title was conferred in
Yuan Dynasty and thereafter gradually became
customary. Lord Emperor Wenchang is considered as
god of the imperial examinations and is in charge of
good fortune and reputation in literature. During the
Qing Dynasty, the faith spread and later on became
firmly rooted in Taiwan because of the large number of
pavilions, and ancestral temples. The most significant
form of worship for him was the ceremonial festival held
on his birthday, the 3rd day of the lunar 2nd month.
Nowadays, people of Taiwan will visit an ancestral
temple of Wenchang on the godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s birthday and before
examinations to pray for the advancement of their
studies and that they may emerge successfully from the
examination. Furthermore, devotees will provide some
offerings to improve their fortunes, for example, offering
green onions, celery, radishes and sweet osmanthus.